Some software terms explained – 2

October 29, 2008
Intellectual Property News and Interesting Facts

A glossary of legal terms used in technology – part 2

abandonware — Software no longer being maintained, released or supported by the manufacturer
author — In the case of a software program not created for an employer, the creator(s) of the program. Where the person creates a program as a work for hire, their employer is considered the author.
BSD-style — A type of software license, which, while claiming copyright, essentially waives almost all of the copyright restrictions
closed source — Software for which the source code is not normally available to the end users of the program.
open source — A type of software which grants the end user the privilege of copying, distribution and/or modification.